Washington Reports 3rd Yakima Bird Flu Case as Dairy Exposure Death Becomes US No. 3
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Nov 2
Washington Reports 3rd Yakima Bird Flu Case as Dairy Exposure Death Becomes US No. 3
3 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Nov 2
Summary
Washington health officials said a Yakima County resident died after exposure at an infected dairy farm, and also confirmed a third human bird flu case in the county.
The person who died had underlying health conditions and had been reported Friday as severely ill and hospitalized; officials withheld age, gender and name at the family's request.
Three Washington cases have been identified since bird flu was detected in the state's dairy cattle on October 8, all in Yakima County and tied to infected herds.
The newly reported third case also involved dairy-herd exposure, but that patient and the first Yakima case were not hospitalized and did not develop severe illness.
The death is the third US human fatality since H5 avian influenza jumped from wild birds to dairy cows in March 2024, though officials still say public risk remains low.